Awnings



Nov. 12, 1957 F. J. ZARNOWSKI 2,81

' AWNINGS Filed April 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. H m/K J'ZqEA/O wsk/ FITTOR/VEY United States Patent My invention relates toawnings more particulariv :to awning constructions wherein .a pluralityof slats .are joined together in a manner to provide an awning .of

the fixed canopy or roll-up type.

some .of the principal objects of my invention is to pro- ,vide anawning construction wherein the slats are connected together along theirlengthwise edges and are provided with means to preclude relativeshifting of "the islets lengthwise.

Another object of my invention is to provide an awning of the foregoingdescribed character which may be readily rolled in a minimum of space.

A further object of my invention is to provide an awning of theforegoing described character capable of being equipped with means formaintaining the slats in a substantially rigid condition to form acanopy and which means is eonnected to and disposed solely beneath theun- .der face of the canopy.

An important object of my invention is to provide, an awning of theforegoing described character which is simple in construction, ,durableand efficient in use, economical in manufacture and wherein the slatsmay be assembled and secured together against lengthwise displacement;by .other than highly skilled labor.

With ,the above and other objects in yiew, as will hereinafter appear,the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter set forth and illus- :trated in the accompanying drawingsfrom which the several features of the invention and the advantages at-.tained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Referring ,to the drawings wherein like reference characters designatelike parts throughout the several views:

Figure -1 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view illustra ing inrconnecte slats i t op r or e tended positions of an awning having myinvention inc pora ed th ein.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view talgen on the line 2.2 ofFigure 1. l a

Figures 3 and 4 are detail sectional views taken on the lines 33 and 4-4of Figure 2,. respectively.

Figure 5 is a detail longitudinal sectionalview illustrating the mannerin which a pair of the slats are pivoted relative to each other topermit roll-up of the awning.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail bottom plan view of a modification.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan View of the awning in extended condition andillustrating the slats being secured together in rigid relation withrespect to relative transverse movement to provide an awning of thecanopy type.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 8-.3 ofFigure 7.

Figure 9 is adetail perspective view of an anchoring platei Figure 10 isa detail perspective view illustrating the manner of securing the plateto a cylindrical support.

Inp racticing my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, I providentawning 5 comprising a plurality of relaice tively narrow slats 6 thebody portions of which are each slightly recurvated in transversalityand provided with upper and lower faces 7 and '8 defining the upper.andiower surfaces '9 and 10 of the awning, respectively.

The longitudinalmargins of each slat terminate in upper and lowersubstantially spiral convolutions 11 and 12 disposed over and under theupper and lower .faces of the .slat. The upperand lowerconvolutions 11and 12 of the slats are interconnected with the lower and upperconvolutions 12 and -11 of the adjacent slats 6 to :provide hinges 13for pivotly connecting the slats together to permit roll-up of theawning or serving to maintain the slats in connected relation when theawning is utilized as .a rigid canopy .as disclosed in Figures 7 and 8and hereinafter more fully described.

The inneror free ends of the convolutions 11 and .12

tions or flanges 14arranged Ztocooperate with each other to preventrelative pivotal movement of the slats 6 in one direction materiallybeyond the surface plane of the awning when the slats arein extendedposition, as :shown in Figures 1 and 2, and to permit relative pivotalmovement of the slats in the opposite direction, as shown in Figure 5,suificient to enable the awning to be rolled up to an inoperativeposition. Inasmuch as this feature, per se, does not constitute thepresent invention, a more detailed disclosure thereof is not deemednecessary, an exemplification of the feature being disclosed :in U. :5.Patent No. 2,099,408.

In order to preclude relative shifting of the slats lengthwise, theportions 16 of the convolutions on the lee side of each hinge, inproximity to the ends thereof and subjacent the lower face of aconnected slat, are bent inwardly toward the axis of the hinge to formcoacting indentations, detents, protuberances or aljutments d7. Thedetents 17 extend into the confines of the convolutions and in angularrelation to the axis of the hinge '13. The detents 17 are formed orpunched from the lower portions 16 by suitable means, for example, thetool disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 426,374, filedherewith, now Patent No. 2,748,866, granted June 5, 1956. The punchingdie assembly of the tool is .so constructed and arranged as to form andeffect bending of the detents into the confines of the convolutions andin somewhat transverse relation thereto. As shown in Fig. 3, theindentation 17 preferably has an opening therethrough with the detentsextending in pairs towards such opening. One of the pairs of detents maybe longer than the other. A detent of each convolution is disposed inpaired and abutting relation with a detent of the adjacent convolution.Each pair is relatively slidable to permit the aforementioned pivotalmovement of the slats during rolling of the awning and of a sufficientwidth for engagement with each other at all times to precludesubstantial relative axial movement of the convolutions and slats.Obviously, from the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have providedanti-shifting means effective for preventing relative axial movement ofthe convolutions and whereby the ends of the slats are maintained in apreestablished order with respect to each other at all times.

As illustrated in Figures 7 to 10, inclusive, of the drawlogs, the slats6 may be maintained in fixed relation against transverse shifting orroll-up to provide an awning of the rigid canopy type and, for thispurpose, I provide a pair of spaced supporting members, for instance,bars 20, disposed under the lower faces of the slatsand secured to abuilding or other structure from which the canopy extends. A pluralityof anchoring plates 21 are employed for securing the slats to the bars20 in fixed relation therewith. As depicted in Figures 8 and 9,

each of the plates is formed with a pair of side portions substantiallyhooked-shaped configuration whereby the latter is disposed betweenconvolutions 11 and 12 of the hinge 13, as clearly illustrated in Figure8.' The opposite side portion 23 is substantially fiat and, being angularly related to the portion 24, extends in a somewhat general oppositedirection with respect to the portion 22 and has its longitudinal freeedge disposed in engagement with the bar 20. The bolt-holes 25 may be inthe form of elongated slots for accommodating therein square-shaped headportions of bolts 26 to preclude turning of the bolts relative to theplates 21.

The bolts 26 extend through the center holes 25 of the plates 21 and thebars 20 and are provided with nuts 27 for tightening the bolts againstthe plates and therebyclamping the slats on the bars, it beingunderstood that the plates are of a sufiicient resiliency to maintainthe hinges in engagement with the bars under tension thereby securingthe slats to the bars in a fixed condition to form a rigid canopy.

In instances where tubular or cylindrical members are employed in lieuof the bars 20, each of the plates 21, as illustrated in Figure 10, maybe secured to a particular cylindrical member 30 by a U-clip 31embracing the member 30 and having bolts 32 extending through itsangularly-related end sections 33 and the outermost holes 25 of theplate 21 to secure the plate to the member in the same tensionedrelation therewith as in the instance of the bars 20 heretoforedisclosed.

It is to be noted that the detents are formed beneath the slats andsubstantially opposite from the weather or exposed sides of the hingeswhereby the openings occasioned by the forming of the detents areconcealed from view from without the awning, thus enabling the upper orouter faces of the slats to present a smooth and attractive appearancenot marred by indentations, openings, bolt heads, etc. The lower orinner face of the awning also is attractive because the detents aredisposed in zones which face in directions at angles to the directionsin which the inner surfaces of the body portions of the slats face.Furthermore, while I have disclosed my invention in connection withslats preferably constructed of aluminum or the like, it is to bedistinctly understood that the invention may be practiced in conjunctionwith slats constructed of other suitable and desirable materials. Also,it is comprehensible that the invention may be employed in connectionwith similar constructions other than the slats of awnings, forinstance, panel assemblies for walls or the like wherein it is desirableto secure paneling against relative shifting. As clearly shown in Figure6, groups of the detents 17 may be formed at each of the ends of thehinges whereby the detents of all of the groups coact to insure theslats against relative lengthwise shifting.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain theinvention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adaptthe same for use under various conditions of service. Moreover, it isnot indispensable that all the features of the invention be usedconjointly since they may be employed advantageously in variouscombinations and subcombinations.

It is obvious that the invention is not confined solely to the useherein disclosed in connection therewith as it may be utilized for anypurpose to which it is adaptable.

It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe specific construction as illustrated and described, as the same isonly illustrative of the principles involved which are capable ofextended application in various forms, and the invention comprehends allconstruction within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an awning, a plurality of slats arranged in adjacent parallelrelation to each other, coiled portions located at opposite longitudinaledges of said slats and extending substantially the full lengthsthereof, the coiled portions of each slat extending in oppositedirections and being interconnected with the coiled portions of adjacentslats to form hinges whereby said slats are pivotally connected witheach other, each of said hinges having a zone in which a first one ofthe interconnected coil portions is disposed within and in face-to-facecontact with the other of the interconnected coil portions, said firstone of the interconnected coil portions having an opening therein insaid zone and intermediate its ends, said first portion being bentinwardly toward the axis of the hinge adjacent opposite sides of saidopening to form two detents extending lengthwise of the hinge inopposite directions and terminating at said opening, and the other ofsaid interconnected coil portions having an opening and two detentsconforming in position, size and shape to said opening and said twodetents in said first portion, whereby the detents of said first portionand of said other portion are disposed substantially in face-to-facecontact to prevent longitudinal sliding movement of said interconnectedportions relative to each other.

2. In an awning, a plurality of slats arranged in adjacent parallelrelation to each other, coiled portions located at opposite longitudinaledges of said slats and extending substantially the full lengthsthereof, the coiled portions of each slat extending in oppositedirections and being interconnected with the coiled portions of adjacentslats to form hinges whereby said slats are pivotally connected witheach other, each of said hinges having a zone in which a first one ofthe interconnected coil portions is disposed within and in face-to-facecontact with the other of the interconnected coil portions, said firstone of the interconnected coil portions having an opening therein insaid zone and intermediate its ends, said first portion being bentinwardly toward the axis of the hinge adjacent opposite sides of saidopening to form two detents extending lengthwise of the hinge inopposite directions and terminating at said opening, said detentsextending different distances inwardly of said hinge, and the other ofsaid interconnected coil portions having an opening and two detentsconforming in position, size and shape to said opening and said twodetents in said first portion, whereby the detents of said first portionand of said other portion are disposed substantially in face-to-facecontact to prevent longitudinal sliding movement of said interconnectedportions relative to each other.

3. In an awning having inner and outer faces, a plurality of slatshaving body portions arranged in adjacent parallel relation to eachother, coiled portions located at opposite longitudinal edges of saidslats and extending substantially the full lengths thereof, the coiledportions of each slat extending in opposite directions and beinginterconnected with the coiled portions of adjacent slats to form hingeswhereby said slats are pivotally connected with each other, each of saidhinges having a zone in which a first one of the interconnected coilportions is disposed within and in face-to-face contact with the otherof the interconnected coil portions and in which said other of theinterconnected coil portions is exposed on the inner surface of saidawning but faces in a direction different from that in which the innersurfaces of body portions of said slats face, said first one of theinterconnected coil portions having an opening therein in said zone andintermediate its ends, said first portion being bent inwardly toward theaxis of the hinge adjacent opposite sides of said opening to form twodetents extending lengthwise of the hinge in opposite directions andterminating at said opening, and the other of said interconnected coilportions having an opening and two detents conforming in position, sizeand shape to said opening .and said two detents in said first portion,whereby the detents of said first portion and of said other portion aredisposed substantially in face-to-face contact to prevent longitudinalsliding movement of said interconnected portions relative to each other.

4. In an awning, a plurality of slats arranged in adjacent parallelrelation to each other, coiled portions located at opposite longitudinaledges of said slats and extending substantially the full length thereof,each of said coiled portions having a circumferential extent less thanone full turn about the axis thereof and having a straight end portionextending along the entire length thereof, the coiled portions of eachslat extending in opposite directions and being interconnected with thecoiled portions of adjacent slats to form hinges whereby said slats arepivot ally connected with each other, each of said hinges being free ofobstruction to relative movement between the connected convolutionsexcept in a zone in which a first one of the interconnected coilportions is disposed within and in contact with the other of theinterconnected coil portions, said first one of the interconnected coilportions having an opening therein in said zone and intermediate itsends, said first portion being bent inwardly toward the axis of thehinge adjacent opposite sides of said opening to form two detentsextending lengthwise of the hinge in opposite directions and terminatingat said opening, and the other or" said interconnected coil portionshaving an opening and two detents conforming in position, size and shapeto said opening and said two detents in said first portion, whereby thedetents: of said first portion and of said other portion are disposedsubstantially in face-to-face contact to prevent longitudinal slidingmovement of said interconnected portions relative to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS162,250 Moore Apr. 20, 1875 430,000 Clark June 10, 1890 638,554 BurtonDec. 5, 1899 949,789 Wilson et a1. Feb. 22, 1910 1,487,242 Howle Mar.18, 1924 1,891,767 Ketcham Dec. 20, 1932 1,936,909 MacChesney Nov. 28,1933 2,099,408 Packert et al. Nov. 16, 1937 2,295,194 Atkinson Sept. 8,1942 2,378,655 Popp June 19, 1945 2,467,969 Debrot Apr. 19, 19492,569,621 Toney Oct. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 642,525 France May 5, 1928291,685 Great Britain June 7, 1928

